Contactless hand covering

ABSTRACT

The invention is a contactless hand covering for preventing exposure to health risks. The hand covering has a finger cup having a finger cup side wall that encircles four fingers of a hand. The hand covering also includes a finger cup aperture having an opening that received the four fingers of the hand. Also included is a thumb cup that receives a thumb of the hand, and a dispenser having an enclosure that stores and dispenses a plurality of the hand coverings;

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to hand coverings. More particularly it relates to gloves that prevent exposure to health risks.

BACKGROUND

Hand coverings such as gloves, have been recorded as early as the 9th century before Christ, in Homer's Odyssey. A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves usually have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb. Gloves which cover the entire hand but do not have separate finger openings or sheaths are called mittens. Generally, mittens still separate the thumb from the other four fingers.

Disposable gloves were invented in 1894, initially to protect nurses' hands from toxic materials used during surgery, however became widely accepted in 1965 in order to prevent the spreading of germs. Gloves, and other hand coverings, make pumping petroleum fuel and changing a vehicle's lubricating oil a cleaner process by preventing these toxic liquids from contacting one's skin. Unleaded gasoline shows at least 15 hazardous chemicals occurring in various amounts, people can be exposed to gasoline by skin contact. According to the World Health Organization, skin exposure to diesel may result in eczema.

Whilst the protection of skin can be accomplished with current offerings, the preventing of germs is, however, made complicated as the current selections of hand coverings are, by nature, contaminated by the previous user's germs.

Accordingly, and in light of the foregoing, there is a need for a hand covering that protects the hand from contact with the previous mentioned health risks. Furthermore, there is a need for a dispensing device that can dispense said hand coverings individually and necessarily prevent contamination of the next hand covering when being restored.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an in-use view of a contactless hand covering and dispenser 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrating the use of an individual hand cover 202 while pumping gasoline;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a contactless hand covering and dispenser 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrating an individual hand cover 202;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a contactless hand covering and dispenser 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrating an individual hand cover 202;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a contactless hand covering and dispenser 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrating an individual hand cover 202;

FIG. 5 is a front detail view of a contactless hand covering and dispenser 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrating the arrangement of a stack of individual hand covers 202 within a dispenser 260;

FIG. 6 is a side detail view of a contactless hand covering and dispenser 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrating the arrangement of a stack of individual hand covers 202 within a dispenser 260; and,

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a contactless hand covering and dispenser 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTIVE KEY

-   100 contactless hand covering and dispenser -   200 plurality of hand covers -   202 individual hand cover -   210 finger cup -   212 finger cup side wall -   214 finger cup end -   216 finger cup outside surface -   218 finger cup inside surface -   220 thumb cup -   222 thumb cup side wall -   224 thumb cup end -   226 thumb cup outside surface -   228 thumb cup inside surface -   230 finger cup aperture -   232 thumb cup aperture -   240 joint -   242 strap -   260 dispenser -   270 enclosure -   272 access aperture -   274 lifter -   276 spring -   278 lifting platform -   290 stack -   900 gasoline pump nozzle -   950 user

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 7 , the present invention is directed to a contactless hand covering and dispenser (herein described as the “invention”) 100. The invention 100 may comprise a plurality of hand covers 200 and a dispenser 260. The plurality of hand covers 200 may be adapted to cover a user's fingers to protect a user 950 from exposure to a health risk while the user 950 accesses a publicly shared facility. As non-limiting examples, the health risk may comprise exposure to a virus and the publicly shared facility may be a gasoline pump nozzle 900 or a keypad at a gas station as can be illustrated in FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIGS. 5-7 , the dispenser 260 may dispense individual hand covers 202 one (1) at a time. The plurality of hand covers 200 may be adapted for the user 950 to slide the user's fingers into the topmost of the individual hand covers 202 and pull the individual hand cover 202 out of the dispenser 260 with the individual hand cover 202 covering the user's fingers. The user 950 may then access the publicly shared facility without directly touching the publicly shared facility.

Referring now more closely to FIGS. 5-6 , the plurality of hand covers 200 may be vertically-stacked within the dispenser 260 such that the topmost of the individual hand covers 202 is accessible at the top of the dispenser 260. A lifter 274 within the dispenser 260 may move the plurality of hand covers 200 up as the individual hand covers 202 are removed from the dispenser 260.

Now referring more closely to FIGS. 2-4 , an individual hand cover 202 selected from the plurality of hand covers 200 may comprise a finger cup 210 and a thumb cup 220. The finger cup 210 may be adapted to cover four (4) fingers, an index finger, a middle finger, a ring finger, and a little finger. The thumb cup 220 may cover a thumb. The individual hand cover 202 may be adapted to be worn on either a right hand or a left hand.

The finger cup 210 may be adapted to be a protective barrier between the four (4) fingers and the publicly shared facility. Referring to FIG. 2 , the finger cup 210 may comprise a finger cup side wall 212 that is adapted to encircle the four (4) fingers. The finger cup 210 may be adapted to cover a palm of the user's hand as far as the base of the thumb. Referring more closely to FIG. 4 , the finger cup 210 may taper from a finger cup aperture 230 to a finger cup end 214. The finger cup end 214 may be rounded. The finger cup 210 may be open at the finger cup aperture 230 and may be closed at the finger cup end 214. The finger cup aperture 230 may be adapted for accepting insertion of the four (4) fingers into the finger cup 210.

Now referring to FIG. 5 , the finger cup 210 may define a finger cup inside surface 218 and a finger cup outside surface 216. The finger cup inside surface 218 may be adapted to contact the four (4) fingers. The finger cup outside surface 216 may be adapted to contact the publicly shared facility.

Referring now back to FIG. 4 , the thumb cup 220 may be adapted to be a protective barrier between the thumb and the publicly shared facility. The thumb cup 220 may comprise a thumb cup side wall 222 that is adapted to encircle the thumb. The finger cup 210 may be adapted to cover a palm of the user's hand as far as the base of the thumb. The thumb cup 220 may taper from a thumb cup aperture 232 to a thumb cup end 224. The thumb cup end 224 may be rounded. The thumb cup 220 may be open at the thumb cup aperture 232 and may be closed at the thumb cup end 224. The thumb cup aperture 232 may be adapted for accepting insertion of the thumb into the thumb cup 220.

Now referring back to FIG. 5 , the thumb cup 220 may define a thumb cup inside surface 228 and a thumb cup outside surface 226. The thumb cup inside surface 228 may be adapted to contact the thumb. The thumb cup outside surface 226 may be adapted to contact the publicly shared facility.

Now referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , the finger cup 210 and the thumb cup 220 may be hingedly coupled at a joint 240. The joint 240 may be adapted to allow the finger cup 210 and the thumb cup 220 to pivot independently as the user 950 grasps and releases items.

Still in reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 , in some embodiments, the individual hand cover 202 may comprise a strap 242. The strap 242 may be coupled to the individual hand cover 202 at the joint 240. The strap 242 may be adapted to pull the individual hand cover 202 off of the user's hand when the individual hand cover 202 is no longer needed. Use of the strap 242 may prevent the user 950 from having to touch contaminated areas of the individual hand cover 202 in order to remove the individual hand cover 202.

In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of hand covers 200 may be made of recycled paper.

Now referring more closely to FIG. 7 , the dispenser 260 may comprise an enclosure 270 that may store and dispense the plurality of hand covers 200. The enclosure 270 may be adapted to be mounted on or adjacent to the publicly shared facility. As a non-limiting example, the enclosure 270 may be mounted onto a pole next to a gasoline pump. The top of the dispenser 260 may comprise an access aperture 272 through which the plurality of hand covers 200 may be inserted into the dispenser 260 as a stack 290 and through which the individual hand covers 202 may be withdrawn individually.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the lifter 274 that may be located within the enclosure 270 at the bottom of the enclosure 270. The lifter 274 may comprise a lifting platform 278 and a spring 276. The lifting platform 278 may press against the bottom of the stack 290 to force the stack 290 up as the individual hand covers 202 are removed from the top of the stack 290. The lifting platform 278 may be forced upwards by the spring 276.

FIGS. 5 and 6 also illustrate the spring 276 that may be located below the lifting platform 278 between the bottom of the enclosure 270 and the lifting platform 278. The spring 276 may be selected such that the combined weight of the stack 290 and the lifting platform 278 may fully compress the spring 276 such that the stack 290 fits within the enclosure 270. As the individual hand covers 202 are removed from the top of the stack 290, the reduced weight of the stack 290 may permit the spring 276 to move the lifting platform 278 and the stack 290 upwards such that the topmost of the individual hand covers 202 is always present at the access aperture 272 of the enclosure 270.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-7 , in use, the enclosure 270 may be mounted on or adjacent to the publicly shared facility. The enclosure 270 may be filled with a plurality of hand covers 200 by inserting a stack 290 of the plurality of hand covers 200 into the top of the enclosure 270 via the access aperture 272. The weight of the stack 290 may compress the spring 276 of the lifter 274 such that the stack 290 descends into the enclosure 270 until the topmost of the individual hand covers 202 is level with the access aperture 272.

Now referring back to FIG. 1 , the user 950 may don an individual hand cover 202 by sliding the four (4) fingers into the finger cup 210, by sliding the thumb into the thumb cup 220, by squeezing the thumb against the four (4) fingers, and pulling the individual hand cover 202 out of the dispenser 260. The user 950 may then access the publicly shared facility using the individual hand cover 202 to shield the fingers while touching surfaces. As non-limiting examples, the user 950 may press buttons on the gasoline pump or on an ATM and may grasp the gasoline pump nozzle 900 to pump gasoline. The user 950 may wear the individual hand cover 202 when exchanging currency or operating a self-checkout terminal. Beyond virus protection, the user 950 may choose to wear the individual hand covers 202 to keep their hands clean. As a non-limiting example, the user 950 may wear the individual hand covers 202 when using a dipstick to check the engine oil.

The exact specifications, materials used, and method of use of the invention 100 may vary upon manufacturing. The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. 

1. A contactless hand covering system for preventing exposure to health risks, the hand covering system consisting of: a contactless hand covering, the contactless hand covering comprising: a finger cup, the finger cup comprising: a finger cup side wall, wherein the finger cup side wall is configured to encircle four fingers of a hand; a finger cup aperture, wherein the finger cup aperture being is an opening and being configured to receive the four fingers of the hand; and a thumb cup, the thumb cup being configured to receive a thumb of the hand, and wherein the thumb cup is coupled to the finger cup side wall; a strap, wherein the strap is coupled to the hand cover at a joint; and a dispenser, the dispenser having an enclosure, the dispenser being configured to store and dispense a plurality of the hand coverings.
 2. (canceled)
 3. The hand covering system according to claim 1, wherein the thumb cup further comprises an inside surface and an outside surface, wherein the inside surface is configured to contact the thumb and wherein the outside surface is adapted to contact a publicly shared facility.
 4. The hand covering system according to claim 1, wherein the finger cup has a round shape.
 5. The hand covering system according to claim 1, wherein the finger cup is further configured to cover a palm of the hand.
 6. The hand covering system according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser further comprises a lifting platform and a spring, wherein the spring being is configured to be compressed by the lifting platform.
 7. (canceled)
 8. The hand covering system according to claim 6, wherein the dispenser is a top, wherein the hand coverings being is placed through the top of the dispenser onto the lifting platform.
 9. The hand covering system according to claim 8, wherein the hand covering are configured to be stacked onto the lifting platform.
 10. The hand covering system according to claim 9, wherein the dispenser is configured to dispense the hand coverings one at a time, and wherein the spring is configured to be uncompressed by the lifting platform to raise the hand coverings. 